Roller-skate



(No Model.)

E. C. MILLER.

ROLLERI SKATE.

Patented Nov. 3, 1885."

Nv PETERS, rhum-ummm, wnmngm D4 c.

UNITED STATES FREDRICK C. MILLER, OF NEVPORT, KENTUCKY.

ROLLER-SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,584-, datedNovember 3, 1885.

Application lcd April 21, 1885.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDRICK C. MILLER. a citizen of the United States,residing at Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Skates, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My improvements relate,primarily,to rollerskates in which a bridge-pieceor reach is providing for bracing the foot-plate, and having its ends soformed as to serve as housings for the oscillating axle box andcushioningsprings; butthe saidiniprovementsare in part applicable to anyother kind of roller-skate.

In my improved, skate the footplateis made with a downward bend betweenthe toe and heel rests or plates, and is riveted at this intermediatepoint, as well as at its ends, to the reach, so as to render the twoparts perfectly rigid. By reason of this downward bend of the foot-plateno obstruction is offered to the slice-heel of the wearer, and the skateis thus applicable to shoes having heels of various sizes.

The licor-rollers of my improved skate are provided with bushingsscrewed or otherwise xed in position, and projecting on each side beyondthe roller in such manner as to receive on the outside a screw-cap forcovering the end of the axle, and at its inner side to project over theends of the axle-box for the purpose of preventing the oil from owingout of the bushing onto the sides of the roller. The bushing may be madeto receive the ends of the axle directly, or may be somewhat larger thanthe axle to permit the insertion of a series of anti-friction rollersbetween the axle and bushing. The bushing is preferably lubricated bymeans of a cup screwed upon the axleb0x, so as t0 supply the oil througha suitable way to the bearing of the axle in said box, and thence to theinterior of the rollers.

In order that the invention may be better understood, I will proceed todescribe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure I represents in side elevation my improved skate. Fig. II is aplan of the footplate. Fig. III is a transverse section through thecoupling-reach and foot-plate on the line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IVrepresents in axial section one ofthe trucks. Fig. Visa detail sec-Serial No. 162,955. (No model.)

tional view of an axle and wheel havingaplain bushing. Fig. VI is asimilar view showing a roller-bushing. Fig. VII is a detailview of thesplit disk or key for securing the roller upon the axle. Fig. VIII is avertical sectional view of the lubricator applied to the axle-box.

1 represents the foot-plate, preferably of wrought metal, havingdownwardly-bent portion 2, madeto conform to the shape of the archedcoupling-reach 3, which is preferably substantially of the form shown inmy copending application, No. 161,453, filed April 7, 1885. Beingriveted at this intermediate point to such reach, the foot-plate isfirmly braced by the inclined connecting portions 4, and it will be seenthat no elevations upon the foot-plate are made to interfere with theapplication of-the skate to a shoe having a heel of any size. The endsof the coupling-reach are provided with yokes or standards 5 for theaxle-box 6, cushion-spring 7, and guide-pin 8, which are of the formsubstantially as described in my aforesaid co-pending application. Theaxle-box is pivoted between the standards 5 by a pivot-pin, 9, and bearsloosely within it the solid axle l0, grooved at both ends to receive asplit disk, 11, which serves as a key to prevent the floor-rollers 12from coming off their axle. The said floor-rollers are provided withcylindrical bushings 13, screwed or otherwise fixedtherein. The bushingsare made of sufficient length to project over the ends of the axle-boxat one side of the roller, and to receive at the other side a screw-cap,1J., by whichmeans the oil supplied to the bushing is kept from flowingonto either side of the floor-roller. The cap 14E serves also, whenscrewed to position, to retain the two halves of the disk 11 within thegroove in the axle, so as to aid it in preventing the separation of theroller from the axle. The bearing of the axle may be directly upon thebushing, as shown at the right hand in Fig. 4, or a series ofanti-friction rollers, 15, may be interposed between the two, as shownon the left hand of said figure, as preferred. At its center theaxle-box is provided with an oil duct or way, 16, surrounding which ducta screw-threaded neck, 17, is formed on the said axle-box to receive theneck of a lubricator-cup, 18. It will be observed that the cup, beingfilled IOO with oil and then applied to the n eck 17, will yield aconstant supply of oil to the bearing between the axle and its box,andthence to the interior of the bushing.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a roller-skate,the combinatiomwith a coupling-reach of arch forrn having standards forattachment to the wheel-trucks, of a foot` plate having` adownwardly-bent body portion connected to the body of the reach and itsends secured to the ends of the reach, substantially as set forth.

2. In a roller-skate, the combination, with the floor-wheels, of an axlehaving g.ooves at its outer ends, split disks occupying said grooves forretaining the wheels upon the axle, bushings having screw-threads attheir outer ends and forming boxes for the ends of the axle, andscrew-threaded caps secured to said bushings for retaining the disks inplace, substantially as set forth.

3. ln a roller-skate, the combination, with the floor-wheels, axle, andaxle-box having reduced ends, of bushings having annular extensions attheir inner ends for surrounding the ends of the axle-box, substantiallyas set forth.

4. In a roller-skate, the combination, with the floor-wheels, of an axlehaving grooves at its outer ends, split disks occupying said grooves forretaining the wheels upon the axle, bushings having screw-threads attheir outer ends and surrounding the ends of the axle, axle-box,cylindrical rollers occupying the annular spaces around the ends oftheaxle within the bushings between the ends of the axle-box and disks, andscrew-threaded caps secured to said bushings for retaining the disks inplace, substantially as set forth.

5. In arollcr-skate, the combination offloorwheels, axle having groovesat its outer ends,

vaxle-box having reduced ends, bushings having outwardly to receive acap-nut, and a f Washer in a groove at the end of the axle to preventthe wheel or roller from comingl off, and a series of anti-frictionrollers arranged between the bushing and axle, substantially as setforth.

8. The combination of the grooved axle, split disksA applied thereto,floor-wheels or Hoor-rollers, bushings in said floor-wheels orfloorrollers having screw-threaded outer ends, and screw-caps forcovering the ends of the axle and bushing and retaining the Hoor-Wheelsor floor-rollers and split disks in position, substantially as setforth. y

v9. The combination of an'axle-box formed with a screw-threadedprojection, and having duct or way 16 through thescrew-threadedprojection, and the removable cup or lubricator 18, havingscrew-threaded mouth 1 7, secured to the projection, substantially asset forth.

FREDRIGK C. MILLER.

Witnesses:

J. F. BALDWIN, G. W. HARsci-I.

